Schloss Hochhaus

Schloss Hochhaus stands in the village of Vorchdorf in the Gmunden district of Upper Austria. Built between 1454 and 1462 by Chunrat the Vischpekch, it began as a fortified residence for a local official. The Vischpekch family later sold it to the Fernberger family, who held it until 1618. After passing through several noble hands, including the Kuefstein counts, it was purchased by Schlierbach Abbey in 1660. The community of Vorchdorf bought the building in 1871. The castle today remains largely as the Vischpekch family left it, despite later changes. A 17th-century engraving shows a three-storey structure with a moat and corner tower, much of which survives. The entrance portal dates from the mid-18th century Rococo period. The old farm buildings and surrounding wall were removed in 1911, but the remaining tower now houses the local heritage museum. A Neptune fountain in front of the castle was brought from Schlierbach Abbey. Visitors find a quiet square in the centre of Vorchdorf dominated by the castle’s gabled façade. The museum in the old tower displays local history and artefacts. A small inn has operated in the building for over a century, continuing a tradition begun by early tenants such as Franz and Theresia Hörach in 1891. The castle’s modest scale and well-preserved medieval features offer a glimpse of Upper Austria’s past without the crowds of larger sites.